UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

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the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

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Ocugen, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

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11 Great Valley Parkway

Malvern, PA 19355

2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on June 11, 2026

April 30, 2026

DEAR STOCKHOLDER:

Considerable development across all our modifier gene therapy programs, including licensing and financing agreements to strengthen our financial position, and meaningful appointments to our leadership team made 2025 a year of real momentum for Ocugen.

We are now poised to leverage upcoming catalysts and advance the business as we near the first of our three Biologics Licensing Application (BLA) filings. I’m proud of what this team has accomplished, and I’m confident that with a full bench of experienced leadership across the organization, we have the resources and the know-how to drive Ocugen’s transition into a commercial-stage company.

Enrollment for the OCU400 Phase 3 liMeliGhT clinical trial—the first and largest gene therapy registrational trial for broad retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients—was completed. The liMeliGhT clinical trial enrolled 140 patients who were randomized 2:1 into the treatment group and untreated control group across mutations (RHO and gene-agnostic arms). The gene-agnostic arm includes many genetic mutations, including those most prevalent—TULP1, XLRP, USH2A, EYS, RP1, PDE6B, NR2E3, AND PRPF31. The target population included patients with early- to late-stage disease with a clinical and/or genetic diagnosis among a broad RP population, including pediatrics (3+ years). The primary endpoint is 12-month change in visual function assessed by luminance dependent navigation assessment (LDNA) with improvement in Lux Level from baseline to 12 months. Topline Phase 3 data is expected in the first quarter of 2027, advancing OCU400 towards potential approval in 2027.

Approximately 300,000 people in the U.S. and Europe are living with RP, caused by mutations in more than 100 genes. The only approved gene therapy for RP today targets a single gene, RPE65, which accounts for just 1 to 2% of the total RP patient population. OCU400 is designed as a modifier gene therapy utilizing NR2E3, a central transcriptional regulator of retina-specific pathways, to address multiple genetic mutations with a single, one-time treatment for life. We believe OCU400 has significantly wider commercial potential as it is intended to provide a therapeutic option for 98 to 99% of all RP patients.

In 2025, we executed our first regional licensing agreement with Kwangdong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the exclusive Korean rights to OCU400. With upfront fees and near-term development milestone payments, along with royalties—this was a valuable collaboration for Ocugen and a critical step in the Company’s business development strategy and providing market access to patients.

There are an estimated 7,000 individuals in the Republic of Korea with RP, equal to approximately 7% of the addressable U.S. RP market. This approach will allow us to maximize total patient reach while retaining full commercial rights in the U.S. and Europe.

We recently announced positive 12-month data from the Phase 2 ArMaDa clinical trial evaluating OCU410 for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD). Key findings from Phase 2 include: 31% statistically significant reduction in lesion growth in the optimal dose (medium) group

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compared to control (p< 0.05); 27% preservation of ellipsoid zone (EZ) compared to control, which correlates with visual function; and 55% of treated patients demonstrated ≥30% lesion size reduction vs. control. Based on the lesion size reduction, OCU410 has the potential to deliver a 2X treatment benefit compared to 15% and 22% reductions reported for currently approved therapies at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Both treatment options only address the complement system—one of the four disease pathways associated with GA—and require 6–12 injections per year indefinitely with up to 40% attrition rate. Outside of the U.S. there are no approved therapies for GA. With approximately 2 to 3 million GA patients in the U.S. and Europe combined, and the remaining unmet need, OCU410 represents a significant market opportunity.

Our Phase 2 data consistently demonstrates statistically significant reduction of GA lesion growth after treatment with OCU410 optimal dose, and we continue to benchmark these results against natural history data to contextualize the magnitude of effect. We are incorporating these learnings into an anticipated Phase 3 pivotal confirmatory trial with up to 300 subjects and an adaptive design powered at over 95%.

Lastly, dosing has been successfully completed ahead of schedule in the Phase 2/3 GARDian3 pivotal confirmatory clinical trial for OCU410ST. The efficient and accelerated execution of this trial reflects the strong engagement of investigators and patients. It reinforces our confidence in OCU410ST as a potential one-time treatment option for all 100,000 Stargardt patients in the U.S. and Europe who are desperately seeking rescue from blindness with no approved therapies to date.

GARDian3 is a multicenter, randomized, masked, pivotal Phase 2/3 confirmatory trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OCU410ST in early to late-stage (3 years and older) patients with ABCA4-related retinopathies, including Stargardt disease. The Phase 2/3 study with adaptive design enrolled 63 participants diagnosed with Stargardt disease. Subjects randomized to treatment group received a one-time subretinal injection of OCU410ST (3 × 10¹⁰ vector genomes/eye) in the eye with poorer visual acuity, while untreated control group did not receive any treatment. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the reduction in atrophic lesion size at 12 months. Key secondary endpoints include improvements in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and low luminance visual acuity (LLVA), compared to controls. Observational endpoints include preservation of Ellipsoid Zone (EZ) that correlates to visual function. While demonstrating functional benefit via visual acuity within 12 months can be challenging due to the disease’s natural history, it is believed that preservation of EZ will serve as a meaningful and early indicator of therapeutic benefit.

Our balance sheet remains strong. In January 2026, the Company secured $22.5 million in gross proceeds through an underwritten registered direct offering of common stock led by RTW Investments, with additional participation from new and existing investors. Recently, an additional $15 million in gross proceeds was raised through the exercise of warrants to purchase 10 million shares by an investor. These warrants represent 50% of warrants from the prior raise in 2025. We expect that proceeds from this exercise of warrants will extend our cash runway into the first quarter of 2027.

Operationally, we also strengthened our executive leadership team with several appointments, including Abhi Gupta to Executive Vice President, Commercial and Business Development—bringing experience across commercial strategy, gene therapy, and corporate development in the biopharmaceutical industry. In early 2026, Rita Johnson-Greene, MBA was named Chief Financial Officer and Paul Staid joined us as Executive Vice President, Operations. Rita’s experience in financial strategy and capital planning for gene therapy companies as well as big pharma supports our continued focus on disciplined resource allocation as our programs advance toward later-stage development and potential commercialization. Paul has more than 20 years of leadership experience in biologics and cell and gene therapy technical operations in big pharma and will streamline execution across manufacturing and digital systems supply to support the company’s transition toward regulatory approvals.

Importantly, the Compensation Committee and Board remain focused on attracting and retaining the leadership talent needed to achieve our strategic and clinical objectives. Our executive compensation program is heavily performance-based, with annual incentives tied to the achievement of key corporate milestones and long-term incentives intended to align pay outcomes with long-term shareholder value creation. In setting compensation, the Committee also reviews market practices and believes our program is generally competitive with, and appropriately calibrated relative to, companies of similar size and stage. The Compensation Committee has conducted outreach to our institutional investors to discuss the compensation of our named executive officers.

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2025 was marked by important clinical progress, strategic business development, and essential financing accomplishments across the organization. We are entering 2026 with strong momentum and a clear line of sight to multiple catalysts—potentially 3 BLAs by 2028—that will further advance Ocugen’s position as a biotechnology leader in gene therapy for blindness diseases.

Thank you for your continued support,

Shankar Musunuri, Ph.D., MBA

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Ocugen

This letter contains forward-looking statements with respect to Ocugen’s financial condition, business and prospects. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of such words as “may,” “should,” “will,” “could,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential, “continue,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “expects,” “future,” “intends,” “projects,” the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements may include projections of, or guidance on, Ocugen’s future financial performance, anticipated growth strategies, descriptions of business initiatives and anticipated trends in Ocugen’s business or financial results.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts, nor assurance of future performance. Instead, these statements are based on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding Ocugen’s business, strategies, projections, as well as anticipated events and trends. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Ocugen’s control, and Ocugen’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not unduly rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement is based only on information currently available and speaks only as of the date when made. Ocugen undertakes no obligation, other than as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

A discussion of certain risks and uncertainties affecting Ocugen, and some of the factors that could cause Ocugen’s actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, can be found in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Ocugen’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, which accompanies this letter.

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
PROXY DASHBOARD
PROPOSAL 1—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
	MEET THE BOARD	1
	BOARD COMMITTEES	8
	BOARD GOVERNANCE	12
	DIRECTOR COMPENSATION PROGRAM	16
	EXECUTIVE OFFICERS	18
	CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	19
PROPOSAL 2—RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2026
	INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FEES	25
	AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT	26
PROPOSAL 3—APPROVAL, ON A NON-BINDING ADVISORY BASIS, OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
	2025 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES	28
PROPOSAL 4— APPROVAL, ON A NON-BINDING ADVISORY BASIS, OF THE PREFERRED FREQUENCY WITH WHICH FUTURE ADVISORY VOTES ON THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS SHOULD BE HELD
PROPOSAL 5—APPROVAL OF THE ADOPTION OF AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CHARTER TO EFFECT A REVERSE STOCK SPLIT
PROPOSAL 6—APPROVAL OF ADJOURNMENT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING FOR SOLICITATION IF THERE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT VOTES
	SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS & MANAGEMENT	55
GENERAL INFORMATION		57

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

DEAR STOCKHOLDER:

You are invited to attend Ocugen, Inc.’s (the “Company,” “us,” “we,” “our,” or “Ocugen”) Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 8 a.m., Eastern Time.

This year’s Annual Meeting will be a completely virtual meeting of stockholders, which will be conducted via a live audio webcast. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting online, vote electronically and submit your questions during the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/OCGN2026.

At the Annual Meeting, stockholders will vote on:

1.	Election of two class III directors, Kirsten Castillo, MBA, and Satish Chandran, Ph.D., each to serve for a three-year term expiring at the 2029 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Director Election Proposal”).

2.	Ratification of appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) as Ocugen, Inc.’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.

3.	Approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the compensation of Ocugen, Inc.’s named executive officers (the “NEOs”).

4.	Approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the preferred frequency with which future advisory votes on the compensation of the NEOs should be held.

Approval of the adoption of an amendment to the Charter to provide for a reverse stock split of the common stock, at a ratio of not less than one-for-four (1:4) and not greater than one-for-eight (1:8) the final determination of which shall be determined by the Board, and to authorize the Board to effect the reverse stock split at their discretion (the “Reverse Stock Split Proposal”).

6.	Approval of an adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approve Proposal 5 (the “Adjournment Proposal”).

Stockholders will also transact any other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting.

VOTING

You are entitled to notice of the Annual Meeting and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof only if you were a stockholder as of the close of business on April 20^th, 2026 (the “Record Date”).

STOCKHOLDER COMMUNICATION

The board of directors (the “Board”) will give appropriate attention to written communications that are submitted by stockholders and other interested parties and will respond if and as appropriate.


How to Communicate with our Directors			By mail: The Corporate Secretary Ocugen, Inc. 11 Great Valley Parkway Malvern, PA 19355

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PROXY STATEMENT

We are pleased to comply with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that allow companies to distribute their proxy materials over the Internet under the “notice and access” approach. As a result, we are mailing to many stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting to Be Held on June 11, 2026 (the “Notice of Availability”) instead of a paper copy of our proxy materials and our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (the “2025 Annual Report”). We will mail the Notice of Availability or the Notice of the Annual Meeting, this proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”), a form of the proxy card and the 2025 Annual Report, as applicable, on or about April 30, 2026. The Notice of Availability contains instructions on how to access proxy materials online and to cast your vote or submit a proxy over the Internet. This process will allow us to reduce the environmental impact and lower the costs of printing and distributing our proxy materials. If you have received the Notice of Availability, but would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, including the Notice of the Annual Meeting, our proxy statement, our 2025 Annual Report and a form of proxy card, free of charge, please follow the instructions on the Notice of Availability. A copy of our 2025 Annual Report, except for exhibits, will be furnished without charge to any stockholder upon written request to Ocugen, Inc. 11 Great Valley Parkway Malvern, PA 19355, Attention: General Counsel. This Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 are also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Annual Meeting will be held virtually via live webcast on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 8 a.m., Eastern Time.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON JUNE 11, 2026. THE NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING, THIS PROXY STATEMENT, THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AND THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT ARE FIRST BEING MADE AVAILABLE OR MAILED TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS ON OR ABOUT APRIL 30, 2026. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SEC RULES THAT ALLOW COMPANIES TO FURNISH PROXY MATERIALS TO THEIR STOCKHOLDERS OVER THE INTERNET, WE MAIL TO MANY STOCKHOLDERS A NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS RATHER THAN A PAPER COPY OF OUR PROXY MATERIALS RELATED TO OUR FORTHCOMING ANNUAL MEETING. THE NOTICE OF THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING, THIS PROXY STATEMENT AND THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT ARE AVAILABLE TO HOLDERS OF OUR COMMON STOCK AT WWW.PROXYVOTE.COM.

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USER’S GUIDE

PROXY DASHBOARD

To assist you in reviewing this year’s proposals, we call your attention to the following proxy summary. This is only a summary; please review this Proxy Statement and our 2025 Annual Report in full.

GENERAL INFORMATION


Meeting Date:	Time:	Location:	Record Date:
Thursday, June 11, 2026	8 a.m., ET	The meeting can be accessed by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ OCGN2026, where you will be able to listen to the meeting live, submit questions, and vote online. There will be no physical location for stockholders to attend.	April 20^th, 2026

VOTING MATTERS AND VOTING RECOMMENDATIONS


	Matters	Board Vote Recommendation
1	Election of two class III directors, Kirsten Castillo, MBA, and Satish Chandran, Ph.D., each to serve for a three-year term expiring at the 2029 Annual Meeting of Stockholders	FOR Each Nominee
2	Ratification of appointment of PwC as our independent registered accounting firm for 2026	FOR
3	Approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the compensation of NEOs	FOR
4	Approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the preferred frequency with which future advisory votes on the compensation of the NEOs should be held	ONE YEAR FREQUENCY
5	Approval of the adoption of an amendment to the Charter to provide for a reverse stock split of the common stock, at a ratio of not less than one-for-four (1:4) and not greater than one-for-eight (1:8) the final determination of which shall be made by the Board, and to authorize the Board to effect the reverse stock split at their discretion	FOR
6	Approval of an adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approve Proposal 5	FOR

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEET THE BOARD

The size of our Board is set at six members and is divided into three classes, each of which has a three-year term. Currently, class I, class II and class III consist of two directors each. You are being asked to vote on the election of class III directors, Kirsten Castillo, MBA and Satish Chandran, Ph.D., each to serve a three-year term expiring at the 2029 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their respective successors, if any, are elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or other removal.

Our directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast by our stockholders at the Annual Meeting. If no contrary indication is made, shares represented by executed proxies will be voted FOR the election of Kirsten Castillo and Satish Chandran, Ph.D. Each of the nominees has agreed to serve as a director if elected, and we have no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable to serve.

BOARD EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS MATRIX

The table below summarizes key qualifications, skills, or attributes of our continuing directors and director nominees. A mark indicates a specific area of focus or expertise on which the Board relies most in deciding whether to nominate a director to serve on our Board. The lack of a mark does not mean the director does not possess that qualification or skill. Each director’s biography below describes these qualifications and relevant experience in greater detail. We believe the table below demonstrates the breadth of the collective experience, expertise, and skills of our continuing directors and director nominees.

Experience, Expertise,

or Attribute

Kirsten

Castillo,

MBA

Junge

Zhang,

Ph.D

Uday

Kompella,

Ph.D.

Shankar

Musunuri,

Ph.D., MBA

Blaise

Coleman,

MBA

Satish

Chandran,

Ph.D.

Industry Experience

Current/Recent Biotech CEO/CFO

Science/Biotech/Academic Background

Biotech Research and Development/Clinical/Regulatory Expertise

Biotech Commercial Expertise

Finance Expertise

Board Governance

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NOMINEES FOR CLASS III DIRECTORS FOR ELECTION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING FOR TERM TO EXPIRE AT THE 2029 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS


	KIRSTEN CASTILLO, MBA
	Director since: 2020 Age: 53 Independent Committee Memberships • Audit Committee • Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (Chair) Other Public Directorships • ACV Auctions Inc. since October 2020			Career Highlights • More than 20 years of supply chain and logistics experience, having held multiple supply chain leadership roles at a spin-off company of 3M Company. • Served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Logistics Planning Services from 2010 to 2017, a privately held transportation and logistics services company. • Stayed on as Chief Operating Officer at GlobalTranz, a full-service, technology-driven third-party logistics provider from 2017 to 2018, following its acquisition of Logistics Planning Services, where she was responsible for all company operations including regional branches in North America and Mexico, delivering $1.6 billion in revenue. Memberships • Served as the Vice President of Engagement for Advancing Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain, Operations, Management, and Education from September 2019 to December 2021. • Served on the boards of The Marvin Companies, ACV Auctions Inc., and Willey Family Ventures since April 2019, October 2020, and January 2024, respectively, and as an advisor to Conquer AI since August 2025. • Board member of various non-profit organizations, including Board of Advisors at Duke University’s Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship and was the President of the United Way of Washington County from November 2018 through December 2024. Ms. Castillo received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota and her Global Executive Master of Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. She is currently enrolled at the Denver Seminary and expects to graduate in 2026. Ms. Castillo’s expertise in business operations and logistics and her leadership experience led the Board’s decision to nominate Ms. Castillo for reelection to the Board.

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	SATISH CHANDRAN, PH.D.
	Director since: 2025 Age: 71 Independent Committee Memberships • Audit Committee • Compensation Committee (Chair) • Science and Technology Committee Other Public Directorships • None			Career Highlights • President and Chief Executive Officer of Prodigy Biotech, Inc., since April 2021. • Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Somahlution Inc. (“Somahlution”) since its inception in May 2010 until it was acquired by Marizyme, Inc. (OTCQB: MRZM) (“Marizyme”) in August 2020. Then served as Marizyme’s President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer until April 2021. • Former Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors of Akshaya Bio, Inc. from 2012 until it was acquired by Kaimi Bio, Inc. in 2023. • Prior to founding Somahlution, Dr. Chandran was the Chief Technology Officer at Pfizer Biotherapeutics—OTU from December 2008 until May 2010. • Prior to joining Pfizer he co-founded Nucleonics, Inc., an RNAi therapeutics company in 2000 and served as their Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer, until 2008. • Dr. Chandran has served as a member of our Vaccine Scientific Advisory Board since 2021. Memberships • Board member of Avstera, Inc. since 2023. • Board member of formerly public company, Statera Biopharma, Inc., since February 2022 and is a member and chair of their compensation committee and a member of the audit committee and the corporate governance committee. Dr. Chandran received his Bachelor of Science, with honors, from the University of Mumbai, his master’s in Microbiology, Microbial Genetics, and Microbial Biochemistry from the University of Baroda, and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Microbial genetics from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Dr. Chandran’s extensive scientific, operational, and commercial expertise, along with a deep understanding of product development, regulatory strategy, and innovation in the life sciences sector led the Board’s decision to nominate Dr. Chandran for reelection to the Board.

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CLASS I DIRECTORS-TERMS EXPIRING AT THE 2027 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS


	SHANKAR MUSUNURI, PH.D., MBA
	Director since: 2019 Age: 62 Committee Memberships • None Other Public Directorships • None			Career Highlights • Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since Ocugen went public in September 2019. • Co-Founder and Chairman of Ocugen since its founding in September 2013 and has additionally served as Chief Executive Officer since May 2015. • Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer, and a board member of Nuron Biotech, Inc. from April 2010 to May 2013. • More than 33 years of industry experience encompassing research and development, operations, and business management including commercial in biotechnology companies as well as large pharmaceutical companies. • Nearly fifteen years at Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) where he held various positions of increasing leadership and responsibility. Memberships • Board of Trustees at Woods System of Care, a large behavioral/integrated Health Care Organization. • Board member of Musunuri Family Foundation, a non-profit that provides college scholarships to high school students. • Served on Board of Advisors at Duke University’s Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship until 2025 Dr. Musunuri obtained his Bachelor of Pharmacy from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Connecticut. Our Board believes Dr. Musunuri’s perspective and history as our Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, as well as his executive, operational, financial and commercial expertise provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve on our Board.

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	JUNGE ZHANG, PH.D.
	Director since: 2019 Age: 59 Independent Committee Memberships • Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee • Compensation Committee Other Public Directorships • None			Career Highlights • Co-Founder and Chairman of Biopeptek Pharmaceuticals LLC (“Biopeptek”), a custom peptide manufacturing company, since its founding in October 2011. • Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mainline Biosciences Inc., a drug discovery and development company, and a Co-Founder and Chairman of Mainline Scientific LLC, a scientific instrument company, since 2015 and 2017, respectively. • Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sandigene Inc., a company dedicated to advancing pioneering oncological therapies, since 2025. • Prior to co-founding Biopeptek, Dr. Zhang was with the Janssen Pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson from October 2002 to April 2011. Before joining Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Zhang was a Senior Chemist at Eisai Co., Ltd. USA from December 1997 to October 2002. Dr. Zhang earned a Bachelor of Science in Material Science from Wuhan University of Technology in China, a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Louisiana, and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Drexel University. Our Board believes Dr. Zhang’s extensive senior management and entrepreneurship experience in the pharmaceutical industry provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve on our Board.

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CLASS II DIRECTORS-TERMS EXPIRING AT THE 2028 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS


	UDAY B. KOMPELLA, PH.D.
	Director since: 2019 Age: 59 Independent Committee Memberships • Compensation Committee • Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee • Science and Technology Committee (Chair) Other Public Directorships • None			Career Highlights • Ocugen Co-founder since September 2013. • Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ophthalmology, and Bioengineering at University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus since March 2008. • Co-director, Colorado Center for Nanomedicine and Nanosafety. Memberships • Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. • Editor-in-Chief for the journals, Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery and the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Dr. Kompella obtained his undergraduate degree from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering from Jadavpur University and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Southern California. Our Board believes Dr. Kompella’s deep experience with our business as a Co-Founder of Ocugen and his academic experience in pharmaceutical sciences and ophthalmology provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve on our Board.

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	BLAISE COLEMAN, MBA
	Director since: 2025 Age: 52 Independent Committee Memberships • Audit Committee (Chair) • Science and Technology Committee Other Public Directorships • None			Career Highlights • Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors of Endo from March 2020 until August 2024. Previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Endo from September 2016 to March 2020. • Prior to joining Endo, Mr. Coleman held several finance leadership roles with AstraZeneca from 2007 to 2015, including Chief Financial Officer of the AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb U.S. Diabetes Alliance. • Earlier in his career, he served in Commercial and Business Development Finance roles at Centocor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, from 2003 until 2007. • Mr. Coleman is a Certified Public Accountant (currently inactive) and previously worked as a Manager in the Pharmaceutical Assurance Practice at PwC, from 1996 until 2003. Memberships • Mr. Coleman is a member of Robin Hood Ventures, a leading angel investment group in the mid-Atlantic region focused on Life Science start-ups. Mr. Coleman received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Widener University and his MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business. Our Board believes Mr. Coleman’s deep financial expertise, operational leadership, and a proven track record leading successful transformations in the pharmaceutical industry provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve on our Board.

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BOARD COMMITTEES AND MEMBERSHIP

Our Board has established various committees (the “Committees”) to assist in discharging its duties: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and the Science and Technology Committee. Each member of our Committees is an independent director as that term is defined by the SEC and the listing rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”). Each of the Committees has the authority, as its members deem appropriate, to engage legal counsel or other experts or consultants in order to assist the Committee in carrying out its responsibilities. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for overseeing periodic self-evaluations of the Board to determine whether it and its Committees are functioning effectively. Each Committee also conducts periodic self-evaluations of their own performance and reports their conclusions to the Board.

The Committee memberships and the primary responsibilities of each of the Committees are as follows:

Director

Independent

Board

NCGC

STC

Shankar Musunuri, Ph.D., MBA

Junge Zhang, Ph.D.

Yes

Uday B. Kompella, Ph.D.

Yes

Satish Chandran, Ph.D.

Yes

Kirsten Castillo, MBA

Yes

Blaise Coleman, MBA

Yes

AC = Audit

Committee

CC = Compensation

Committee

NCGC = Nominating and

Corporate Governance

Committee

STC = Science and

Technology

Committee

M = Member

C = Chair

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee assists the Board by providing oversight of our financial management, independent auditor and accounting and financial reporting processes, as well as such other matters as directed by the Board or the Audit Committee Charter.

Among other things, the Audit Committee’s responsibilities include:

•	having sole discretion and direct responsibility for appointing, evaluating, retaining, compensating, overseeing, evaluating, and, when necessary, terminating our engagement with our independent registered public accounting firm;

•	discussing with management and the independent registered public accounting firm our annual and quarterly financial statements and related disclosures and preapproving all audit services;

•	establishing and overseeing compliance with our procedures governing treatment of complaints concerning our accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters, and submissions of confidential, anonymous, employee concerns regarding accounting or auditing matters;

•

reviewing our Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (“Code of Conduct”), including assessing the adequacy of the Code of Conduct and recommending any proposed changes to the Board, and our compliance with applicable legal requirements, as well as any litigation or material government investigations, and making corresponding reports to the Board;

•	overseeing our risk assessment and risk management processes and the guidelines and procedures to implement such processes;

•	reviewing our enterprise risk management framework and major risk exposures, including our cybersecurity risks;

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•	reviewing and ratifying all related person transactions, based on the standards set forth in our related party transactions policy (the “Related Party Transactions Policy”); and

•	preparing the Audit Committee report required to be included in our annual proxy statement.

The current members of our Audit Committee are Mr. Coleman (Chair), Ms. Castillo, and Dr. Chandran. All members of our Audit Committee are deemed “independent” and financially literate under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq. Mr. Coleman qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of SEC regulations. Immediately following our 2025 annual meeting of stockholders held on June 5, 2025 (the “2025 Annual Meeting”), Marna C. Whittington, Ph.D.’s term as chair and Prabhavathi Fernandes, Ph.D., FIDSA’s term as a member of the Audit Committee ended, and Mr. Coleman was appointed as chair of the Audit Committee, and Dr. Chandran was appointed as a member of the Audit Committee upon Dr. Chandran’s election to the Board at the 2025 Annual Meeting.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee reviews the performance and development of our management in achieving corporate goals and objectives and assures that our executive officers (including our Chief Executive Officer) are compensated effectively in a manner consistent with our strategy, competitive practice and stockholder interests, as well as such other matters as directed by the Board or the Compensation Committee Charter. Among other things, the Compensation Committee’s responsibilities include:

•

reviewing and recommending to the Board the terms of any binding offer letters, employment agreements, termination agreements or arrangements, change-in-control agreements, indemnification agreements and other material agreements that we execute with the Chief Executive Officer, as well as reviewing and approving the terms of any such letters, arrangements, or agreements that we execute with any executive officer;

•	overseeing the evaluation of our executive officers and preparing assessments of their performance, to be discussed periodically with the Board;

•

annually reviewing and making recommendations to the Board for approval of our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation level and annually reviewing and approving other executive officers’ compensation level (including salary, bonus, incentive compensation, severance arrangements, change-in-control benefits and other forms of executive officer compensation);

•	reviewing and making recommendations to the Board regarding director compensation, including all forms of paid cash compensation and all forms of equity compensation granted to members of the Board;

•	reviewing and making recommendations to the Board regarding incentive compensation and equity-based plans, as well as approving employee benefit plans pursuant to which options or stock may be acquired by officers, directors, employees or consultants;

•	administering, or where appropriate, overseeing the administration of, executive and equity compensation plans and such other compensation and benefit plans that are adopted by us from time to time;

•	reviewing and discussing with management our key human capital management strategies, including employee health and wellness programs and initiatives and programs related to corporate culture, employee engagement and talent development;

•	administering our Amended and Restated Compensation Recovery Policy; and

•	determining stock ownership guidelines for our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers and monitoring compliance with such guidelines, if deemed advisable by our Board or the Compensation Committee.

Our Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of compensation consultants, legal counsel or other advisors, after taking into consideration applicable factors affecting independence that are specified under Nasdaq and SEC regulations. Our Compensation Committee is directly

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responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any retained compensation consultant, legal counsel and other advisor, and is empowered, without further action by the Board, to both determine and cause us to pay such compensation to any retained compensation consultant, legal counsel and other advisor retained by the Compensation Committee. Our Chief Executive Officer annually reviews the performance of each of the other executive officers, including the other NEOs. He then recommends annual merit salary adjustments and any changes in annual or long-term incentive opportunities for other executives. The Compensation Committee considers our Chief Executive Officer’s recommendations in addition to data and recommendations presented by our executive compensation consultant.

During 2025, the Compensation Committee retained Pearl Meyer & Partners LLC (“Pearl Meyer”) to provide executive compensation consulting services. Prior to the retention of Pearl Meyer, the Compensation Committee had retained Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. (“FW Cook”) to provide executive compensation consulting services. Pearl Meyer presented a summary executive compensation report to the Compensation Committee, which included data about the compensation paid by the companies included in our peer group and other employers who compete with us for executives. Additionally, Pearl Meyer has updated the Compensation Committee on new developments in areas that fall within the Compensation Committee’s jurisdiction and is available to advise the Compensation Committee regarding its responsibilities. Pearl Meyer serves solely at the discretion of the Compensation Committee and their fees are approved by the Compensation Committee.

The current members of our Compensation Committee are Dr. Chandran (Chair), Dr. Kompella, and Dr. Zhang. Our Board has determined that all Compensation Committee members are independent under Nasdaq’s listing standards, and that they are “non-employee directors” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Immediately following the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025, Dr. Fernandes’ term as chair and each of Dr. Whittington’s and Ms. Castillo’s term as a member of the Compensation Committee ended, Dr. Chandran was appointed as chair of the Compensation Committee, and Dr. Zhang was appointed as a member of the Compensation Committee.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies qualified individuals for membership on the Board, recommends to the Board the director nominees to fill vacancies on the Board and to stand for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders, develops and recommends to the Board a set of corporate governance guidelines for the Board and provides oversight of the corporate governance affairs of the Board, as well as such other matters as directed by the Board or the Nominating and Corporate Governance Charter. Among other things, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s responsibilities include:

•	periodically reviewing and adopting procedures regarding director candidates proposed by stockholders;

•	retaining and terminating any search firm used to identify director nominees, approving the search firm’s fees and other retention terms, and authorizing our payment of compensation to any such search firm without further action by the Board;

•

identifying, recommending and evaluating candidates, including candidates submitted by stockholders, for election to the Board and recommending to the Board (i) nominees to fill vacancies or new positions on the Board and (ii) the slate of nominees to stand for election by our stockholders at each annual meeting of stockholders;

•	developing and recommending to the Board corporate governance guidelines, and periodically reviewing and recommending any necessary or appropriate changes to such guidelines;

•	recommending to the Board (i) directors to be appointed to or to fill vacancies on each of our Committees; and (ii) director independence determinations for the Board as a whole and each of our Committees;

•	periodically assessing the appropriate size, composition and leadership structure of the Board as a whole, the needs of the Board and the respective Committees of the Board, and the qualification of director candidates in light of these needs;

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•

overseeing periodic self-evaluations of the Board to determine whether it and its Committees are functioning effectively, as well as determining the nature of the evaluation, supervising the conduct of the evaluation; and preparing an assessment of the Board’s performance to be discussed with the Board;

•	reviewing the adequacy of the Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (“Charter”) and Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended (“Bylaws”), and recommending to the Board, as conditions dictate, amendments for consideration by the stockholders; and

•	reviewing plans for the development, retention and succession of our executive officers.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying individuals that the Committee believes are qualified to become Board members, as described below in the section entitled “Board Structure and Composition.” Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that factors such as a candidate’s character, judgment, skills, expertise and absence of conflicts of interest be considered in determining director candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers candidates proposed by our stockholders and reviews and evaluates information available to it regarding candidates proposed by stockholders and applies the same criteria, and follows substantially the same process in considering them, as it does in considering other candidates.

The members of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are Ms. Castillo (Chair), Dr. Zhang, and Dr. Kompella. The Board has determined that all Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee members are independent under the listing standards of Nasdaq.

Science and Technology Committee

The Science and Technology Committee’s focus is to identify and assess business development opportunities that diversify and strengthen our product candidate portfolio. The Science and Technology Committee’s scientific expertise will actively provide direction to us in efforts to continue to expand on our mission of offering innovative solutions for unmet needs within healthcare. Among other things, our Science and Technology Committee’s responsibilities include:

•	identifying, reviewing, and recommending to our Board opportunities to grow and diversify our product portfolio;

•	assessing our current programs within preclinical and clinical stages in an effort to recommend strategic opportunities or changes to our portfolio to the Board;

•	periodically providing updates to the Board regarding market trends, competitive analysis, and scientific innovation that are of relevance to us; and

•	participating in due diligence efforts and offering a scientific perspective in the assessment of business development opportunities.

The current members of our Science and Technology Committee are Dr. Kompella (Chair), Dr. Chandran, and Mr. Coleman. Our Board has determined that all Science and Technology Committee members are independent as set forth in Nasdaq’s listing standards. Immediately following the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025, each of Dr. Fernandes’, Ms. Castillo’s and Dr. Zhang’s term as a member of the Science and Technology Committee ended, and Dr. Chandran and Mr. Coleman were appointed as members of the Science and Technology Committee.

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BOARD GOVERNANCE

Our Board is our ultimate decision-making body, except with respect to those matters reserved to the stockholders. Our Board selects the members of our senior management team, who in turn are responsible for our day-to-day operations. Our Board acts as an advisor and counselor to senior management and oversees their performance.

Our Board consists of directors divided into three classes, with each class holding office for a three-year term. Kirsten Castillo, MBA and Satish Chandran, Ph.D. have been nominated by our Board for election at the Annual Meeting to serve for three-year terms that will expire at our 2029 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their successors, if any, are elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or other removal. Each of the nominees has agreed to be named and to serve, and we expect each nominee to be able to serve if elected. If any nominee is unable to serve, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will recommend to our Board a replacement nominee. The Board may then designate the replacement nominee to stand for election. If you voted for the unavailable nominee, your vote will be cast for their replacement.

BOARD STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board is responsible for recommending the composition and structure of our Board and for developing criteria for Board membership. This Committee regularly reviews director competencies, qualities and experiences, with the goal of ensuring that our Board is comprised of an effective team of directors who function collegially and who are able to apply their experience toward meaningful contributions to our business strategy and oversight of our performance, risk management, organizational development and succession planning.

Our Bylaws provide that the number of members of our Board shall be fixed by the Board from time to time. Our Board is currently fixed at six members. Our Board is divided into three classes with staggered three-year terms. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying individuals that the Committee believes are qualified to become Board members.

BOARD GOVERNANCE SUMMARY FACTS

The following table summarizes our current Board structure and key elements of our corporate governance framework:


	Governance Item
	Size of the Board (set by the Board)			Six
	Number of Independent Directors			Five⁽¹⁾
	Independent Chairman of the Board			No
	Board Self-Evaluation			Annual
	Review of Independence of the Board			Annual
	Independent Directors Meet Without Management Present			Yes
	Voting Standard for Election of Directors in Uncontested Elections			Plurality

(1) Excludes Dr. Musunuri who is not independent.

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CRITERIA FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has identified certain criteria that it will consider in identifying director nominees. Important general criteria and considerations for Board membership include:

•	Nominees should have a reputation for integrity, honesty and adherence to high ethical standards.

•	Nominees should have demonstrated business acumen, experience and ability to exercise sound judgments in matters that relate to our current and long-term objectives and should be willing and able to contribute positively to our decision-making process.

•	Nominees should have a commitment to understanding us and our industry, and to regularly attend and participate in meetings of the Board and its committees.

•	Nominees should have the interest and ability to understand the sometimes conflicting interests of our various constituencies, which include stockholders, employees, customers, governmental units, creditors and the general public, and to act in the interest of all stockholders.

•	Nominees should not have, nor appear to have, a conflict of interest that would impair the nominee’s ability to represent our interests and our stockholders and to fulfill the responsibilities of a director.

•	Nominees shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or any other basis proscribed by law.

•	Nominees should have the potential to serve on the Board for at least five years.

In each of the director biographies above, we highlight the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led the Board to conclude that each director is qualified to serve on our Board.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that factors such as a candidate’s character, judgment, skills, expertise and absence of conflicts of interest be considered in determining director candidates. Our priority in selection of board members is identification of members who will further the interests of our stockholders through their established records of professional accomplishment, their ability to contribute positively to the collaborative culture among board members, and their knowledge of our business and understanding of the competitive landscape in which we operate and adherence to high ethical standards. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the full Board are committed to creating a board of directors that promotes our strategic objectives and fulfills its responsibilities to our stockholders.

INDEPENDENCE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Under Nasdaq’s listing standards, a majority of the members of a listed company’s board of directors must qualify as “independent,” as affirmatively determined by the board of directors. Our Board consults with our legal counsel to ensure that the Board’s determinations are consistent with all relevant securities and other laws and regulations regarding the definition of “independent,” including those set forth in pertinent Nasdaq listing standards, as in effect from time to time.

Our Board has determined that all our current directors and director nominees, except for Dr. Musunuri, are “independent” directors, as defined under the rules of Nasdaq. In making such determination, our Board considered the relationships that each such non-employee director has with us and all other facts and circumstances that our Board deemed relevant in determining his or her independence, including the beneficial ownership of our common stock by each non-employee director. Our independent directors generally meet in an executive session at each regularly scheduled Board meeting.

There are no arrangements or understandings between any of our director nominees, directors or executive officers and any other person pursuant to which any director nominee, director or executive officer was or is to be selected as a director nominee, director or executive officer, as applicable. Other than Mr. Coleman, the former President and Chief Executive officer of Endo International plc, which filed a petition for bankruptcy on behalf of itself and its subsidiaries in August 2022, no director has been involved in any legal proceedings required to be disclosed under Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K.

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BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

As presently constituted, the Board represents a deliberate mix of members who have a deep understanding of our business, as well as members who have different skill sets and points of view.

Our Board may, but is not required to, appoint a Lead Independent Director, who is selected by a majority of our independent directors and who will preside over executive sessions of the Board. From 2023 until her resignation at the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025, Dr. Fernandes served as the Lead Independent Director. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Board has not appointed a Lead Independent Director. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will periodically assess our Board’s leadership structure and determine whether the leadership structure is appropriate given our specific characteristics or circumstances.

BOARD AND STOCKHOLDER MEETING ATTENDANCE

During 2025, the Board met four times; its Audit Committee six times; its Compensation Committee met five times; its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met four times; and its Science and Technology Committee met four times.

Each member of our Board attended 75% or more of the aggregate of (i) the total number of meetings of the Board, and (ii) the total number of meetings held by the committees of the Board on which he or she served, during the portion of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 for which he or she was a director or committee member.

Directors are encouraged, but not required, to attend our annual stockholder meetings. All of the directors attended the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION

During 2025, Dr. Kompella, Dr. Fernandes, Ms. Castillo, Dr. Zhang, Dr. Chandran, and Dr. Whittington served as members of our Compensation Committee, with the terms of Dr. Fernandes, Dr. Whittington, and Ms. Castillo ending at the 2025 Annual Meeting and the terms of Dr. Zhang and Dr. Chandran beginning upon their election to the Board at the 2025 Annual Meeting. During 2025 and as of the date of this report, none of the members of the Compensation Committee was or is one of our officers or employees, and none of our executive officers has served or serves on the Compensation Committee or Board of any company that employed or employs any member of our Compensation Committee or Board.

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EVALUATING BOARD EFFECTIVENESS

The Board is committed to continuous improvement and annual self-evaluation is an important tool for evaluating effectiveness. The Board and each Committee conducts rigorous annual self-evaluations of their performance and effectiveness.

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION PROGRAM

We have designed and implemented our compensation program for our non-employee directors to attract, motivate, and retain individuals who are committed to our values and goals and who have the expertise and experience that we need to achieve those goals. Our Compensation Committee periodically reviews our compensation program for non-employee directors, including how our non-employee director compensation compares to our peer group and market trends.

Under our compensation program for our non-employee directors as in effect for 2025, each non-employee member of our Board was entitled to the following compensation:

•	Initial Equity Grant. Initial grant of stock options to purchase shares of common stock with a grant date fair value of $115,000, vesting monthly over three years, subject to continued service on the Board.

•

Annual Equity Grant. An annual grant of stock options with a grant date fair value of $115,000, granted on the date of our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and will vest at the earlier of the one-year anniversary of the grant date or the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders, subject to continued service on the Board.

•	Cash Retainers. Cash retainers (to be paid in four quarterly installments) as described below:


2025 Compensation Category	Amount
Annual Base Cash Retainer	$40,000	‘
Additional Committee Chair Compensation:
Audit Committee	$20,000
Compensation Committee	$15,000
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee	$10,000
Science and Technology Committee	$15,000
Additional Committee Membership Compensation:
Audit Committee	$10,000
Compensation Committee	$7,500
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee	$5,000
Science and Technology Committee	$7,500

In December 2025, based on the recommendation of our Compensation Committee, our Board amended the non-employee director compensation policy to set an initial equity grant at 255,150 options and an annual equity grant at 170,100 options.

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2025 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The following table presents the total compensation for each of our non-employee directors who served as a member of our Board during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. Dr. Musunuri did not receive any additional compensation for his service as the Chairman of our Board. Dr. Musunuri’s compensation as an employee is described under “Executive Compensation” below. Dr. Whittington’s term on the Board ended at the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025, and Dr. Fernandes resigned from the Board effective at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Mr. Coleman and Dr. Chandran were elected to our Board at the 2025 Annual Meeting.


Name	Fee Earned or Paid in Cash	Stock Option Awards (1)	All Other Compensation	Total
Uday B. Kompella, Ph.D.	$67,500	$143,750	$—	$211,250
Satish Chandran, Ph.D. (2)	$41,429	$143,750	$20,000	$205,179
Blaise Coleman, MBA (3)	$38,571	$143,750	$—	$182,321
Junge Zhang, Ph.D.	$52,500	$143,750	$—	$196,250
Kirsten Castillo, MBA	$60,000	$143,750	$—	$203,750
Marna C. Whittington, Ph.D. (4)	$29,144	$—	$—	$29,144
Prabhavathi Fernandes, Ph.D., FIDSA (5)	$39,897	$—	$—	$39,897

(1) Amounts represent the grant date fair value of stock option awards granted during 2025, computed in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). For a discussion of the assumptions we employ in determining the fair value of stock option awards, please see Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our 2025 Annual Report. The aggregate number of stock options outstanding on December 31, 2025 was 626,876 for Dr. Kompella, 186,316 for Dr. Chandran,151,316 for Mr. Coleman, 384,742 for Dr. Zhang, 624,876 for Ms. Castillo, and none for Drs. Whittington and Fernandes.

(2) Dr. Chandran was elected to the Board at the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025. Fees amount represents Dr. Chandran’s compensation from June 5, 2025 through December 31, 2025. All other Compensation includes the payment for consulting services prior to his election as a director of the company.

(3) Mr. Coleman was elected to the Board at the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025. Amount represents Mr. Coleman’s compensation from June 5, 2025 through December 31, 2025.

(4) Dr. Whittington’s term on the Board ended at the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025, and Dr. Whittington did not stand for re-election at the meeting. Amount represents Dr. Whittington’s compensation from January 1, 2025 through June 5, 2025.

(5) Dr. Fernandes resigned from the Board effective at the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2025. Amount represents Dr. Fernandes’ compensation from January 1, 2025 through June 5, 2025. Includes compensation for services as Lead Independent Director from January 1, 2025 through June 5, 2025.

Director Stock Ownership Guidelines. To further align the interests of our directors, executive officers and our stockholders, the Board adopted stock ownership guidelines in March 2022. In the case of our non-employee directors, the guidelines require that each director owns shares of our common stock that have an aggregate fair market value equal to or greater than five times the annual base cash retainer. Individuals have five years after first becoming subject to the guidelines to attain the requisite level of stock ownership.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table sets forth the name, position, and age of each of our executive officers as of the date of this Proxy Statement:


Name	Position	Age
Shankar Musunuri, Ph.D., MBA	Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Co-Founder	62
Rita Johnson-Greene, MBA	Chief Financial Officer	49


				Shankar Musunuri, Ph. D., MBA, 62, has served as Chairman of the Board and as our Chief Executive Officer since going public in September 2019. Dr. Musunuri has served as our Co-Founder and Chairman since its founding in 2013 and has additionally served as Chief Executive Officer since May 2015. Dr. Musunuri transformed Ocugen from a start-up into a pioneering biotechnology leader in ophthalmology gene therapy with its novel modifier gene platform to treat major blindness diseases. Dr. Musunuri is a seasoned industry veteran with about 33+ years of results-driven experience encompassing research and development, operations, finance and business management including commercial operations in biotechnology as well as pharmaceutical companies. After a long tenure at Pfizer, he founded Nuron Biotech, Inc., which he grew to a commercial company in less than three years, serving as President, Chief Executive Officer and board member. Dr. Musunuri spent nearly fifteen years at Pfizer, where he held various positions of increasing leadership and responsibility. Dr. Musunuri obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Connecticut, a MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and his Bachelor of Pharmacy from Birla Institute of Technology and Science. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Connecticut’s School of Pharmacy and serves on the Board of Trustees at Woods System of Care, a large behavioral/integrated Health Care Organization.
				Rita Johnson-Greene, MBA, 49, has served as our Chief Financial Officer since February 2026 and has served as our principal financial officer since March 2026. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Johnson-Greene was Chief Operating Officer of Alliance for Regenerative Medicine from April 2023 to January 2026 and Vice President of Sales and Qualified Treatment Center Engagement for bluebird bio from May 2021 to April 2023. She previously held numerous roles at Spark Therapeutics, Inc. from November 2016 through May 2021 and at AstraZeneca from January 2007 to November 2016. She started her career at Accenture Strategy as a Consultant, focused on pharmaceutical ventures. She also joined the Drexel University Biomed Dean’s Executive Advisory Council in May 2024 and serves as a guest lecturer for the bio-medical graduate students. Ms. Johnson-Greene received her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University and her MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT

We are committed to good corporate governance and integrity in our business dealings. Our governance practices are documented in our Charter, our Bylaws, our Code of Conduct, our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters of the Committees. Aspects of our governance documents are summarized below. You can find the charter for each Committee of the Board and our Code of Conduct on our website at https://ir.ocugen.com/corporate-governance.

We have a written set of Corporate Governance Guidelines that are designed to help ensure effective corporate governance of our Company. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines cover topics including, but not limited to, director responsibilities, director qualification standards, director access to management and independent advisors, board meetings and committees, director compensation, director orientation and continuing education, the periodic evaluations of our Board and its Committees, and succession planning. Succession planning for the Board is critical to our success. Our goal is to achieve a Board that provides effective oversight of the Company through the appropriate breadth of experience, expertise and skills. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines are reviewed periodically by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to assess the adequacy of the corporate governance guidelines and recommend any proposed changes to the Board. The Corporate Governance Guidelines are amended by our Board when appropriate. The full text of our Corporate Governance Guidelines is available on our website at https://ir.ocugen.com/.

The Board’s role in risk oversight is consistent with our leadership structure, with management having day-to-day responsibility for assessing and managing our risk exposure and the Board actively overseeing management of our risks, both at the Board and Committee level. The risk oversight process includes receiving regular reports from Committees and our executive officers to enable our Board to understand our risk identification, risk management and risk mitigation strategies with respect to areas of potential material risk, including operations, cybersecurity, finance, legal, regulatory, strategic and reputational risk.

The Board focuses on the overall risks affecting us. Each Committee has been delegated the responsibility for the oversight of specific risks that fall within its areas of responsibility. For example:

•

SEC Form PRE 14A filed by Ocugen Inc.